Monday, November 11, 2013

Veterans Day: The Untold Story

"Today marks Veterans Day, the federal holiday honoring U.S. men and
women who have fought in the armed forces. Veterans continue to face
extremely high levels of unemployment, traumatic brain injury,
post-traumatic stress and homelessness. Since 2000, nearly 6,000
service members have experienced traumatic amputations from injuries
caused by improvised explosive devices and other war-related dangers.
Nearly one million active service members have been diagnosed with at
least one mental health disorder since 2000; nearly half of those have
been diagnosed with two or more. According to the Department of Veterans
Affairs, an estimated 22 veterans take their own lives each day. Last
year, more U.S. military personnel died by their own hands than the
hands of others. On any given night, nearly 63,000 veterans are
homeless. Many suffer chronic debilitating mental health problems. (DemocracyNow! interviews) longtime writer and photographer Ann Jones, author of the
new book, "They Were Soldiers: How the Wounded Return from America’s
Wars—The Untold Story.""